In 2024, Pocketpair made waves when it launchedPalworldin early access. The concept of the game was simple: bring players to a veryPokemon-like world and give them guns in a unique spin on the survival genre. Because of that blend, players seemingly flocked to it, with it becoming one of the highest-played games on Steam. However, Nintendo and The Pokemon Company took notice and ended up filing a lawsuit against Pocketpair, which has seemingly changedPalworldforever.
Because of some patents, Pocketpair has had to change a couple aspects ofPalworldto avoid infringing on them. So, while the game still remains intact, some of its features, like Pal Spheres, have had to be altered due to ongoing litigation. It remains to be seen if other things are changed as well, but even if this is all that happens, it may putfuturePokemon-like titlesin a bit of a tough spot. They will need to try hard to ensure they do not infringe on these patents, which may make delivering aPokemon-like experience extra difficult.
The Palworld Lawsuits Have Changed the Game
Shortly after release, The Pokemon Company stated that it was investigatingPalworldto address any IP infringements. This came after some people started to point out many similarities between the two brands, with some even believing that Pocketpair was actually plagiarizing Nintendo’s franchise. And in September 2024,Nintendo officially filed a lawsuit against Pocketpairalleging that it did in fact infringe on some patents.
Due to these lawsuits, Pocketpair has had to change a few things aboutPalworldgoing forward. For starters, it had to patch out the ability tosummon Pals via Pal Spheres, and instead, Pals are now just summoned next to the player. Additionally, players can no longer use a Pal to glide, but instead must use an actual glider. While nothing else major has been changed, there is a chance this is only the beginning as the lawsuit continues.
Because ofPalworld’s changes, futurePokemon-like games may also be in a bit of a tough spot. One of the biggest reasons is that they will likely no longer be able to use any sort ofPoke Ball devicefor releasing monsters. Even if some non-Pokemongames used them in the past, based on this lawsuit, that is no longer allowed, as Nintendo owns the patent for that. So, studios will likely have to find another monster-summoning mechanic.
Along with that, it seems like there may also be some issues when it comes to letting players use their companions as gliders. If a studio does not follow a very specific set of criteria when letting players mount up, it may also be the target of a lawsuit. Because of that, many may just want tofollow in Pocketpair’s footstepsby introducing actual gliders rather than tying them to any sort of mount. However, even if these games do end up avoiding these two major features, they may not be out of the woods quite yet.
Because of the lawsuits against Pocketpair,Pokemon-like games are currently in the spotlight, and after this, there is a chance that it will not go away. That means that whatever type of game these studios release, they may be under a bit heavier scrutiny from The Pokemon Company, Nintendo, and maybe even the public. If these studios are not extremely careful, then their title could also be faced with lawsuits upon release. So, unless a studio is ready for that possible challenge, it may be best to leave the concept alone for the time being.
